#iquitsugar #IQS weeks 6-8 and beyond

Tags

#IQS, I Quit Sugar, sugar detox

Gimme some sugar, sugar

What with everything else going on around here, I’ve let my I Quit Sugar updates slide.

Ooops.

The eight week program is now officially over. It’s been a mixed bag, but overall I’m really happy with my progress, and I’m gonna keep right on going!

I totally own up to cheating/caving a handful of times in these final weeks. Mindfully so, however. And mostly in Bali, because it’s very difficult to turn down all of that amazing fresh fruit.

While I don’t weigh myself, my clothes ARE gradually getting looser. I once again fit into a work dress that I hadn’t been able to zip up for most of last year. My jeans are threatening to fall down. It isn’t a dramatic change, but I’m digging it.

The best thing however is that I don’t have daily sugar cravings anymore. When the cravings do come, I can usually recognise them as one of two things: boredom or stress. To distract myself from either, I used to eat chocolate mostly.

Sugar cravings used to feel like a slippery slope. As soon as they arrived, it used to mean that I’d inevitably cave in. Maybe not immediately but it was definitely a sure thing.

Now the initial impulse arises and there’s no compulsion to back it up. It’s like: YEAH I WANT SOME CHOCOLATE…. wait a second… Nope. I really don’t.

Well how ‘bout that.

Week 6 (ending 18^th December)

The lead up to my trip to Bali, and my first couple of days there. I took sugar-free snacks on the plane – macadamias, almonds, pepitas and cheese. At first, I was really good and avoided the fruit, the juices and everything. I felt very virtuous!

Week 7 (ending 25^th December)

Then my birthday came around (while in Bali) and I was a bit cest la vie, and had the most wonderful grilled banana and ice-cream for desert. Heaven.

I started eating a bit of fruit here and there, but not gorging on it.

Also, I indulged in the organic raw chocolate cake at Kafe.

However, I never felt like I was over-doing it and I didn’t feel like I HAD to have more. For years, that’s how it was.

Once I came back to Melbourne, there was Christmas. But I’d already asked my family not to give me chocolate as a present. However, I did have a small slice of gluten free plum pudding. I know. *sigh*

Week 8 (ending 1^st January)

New Year’s Eve meant I drank a little wine, which I seriously regret. Ugh, dehydration!

But that was about it. No sugar binges. Hooray!

It seems I’m now in control of my sugar addiction instead of it controlling me. I can take it or leave it and most of the time, I leave it. Sugar doesn’t interest me anywhere near as much as it used to, now that I’m not a sugar slave.

And beyond…

My approach now is pretty much as it’s been through the eight weeks of my sugar detox.

I actively avoid added sugar, confectionary and I’m keeping my fruit consumption really low. For most of last year, I didn’t really drink (alcohol is often high in sugar) since it’s bad for my autoimmune condition, and I honestly don’t miss it too much. If I want some, I have it. Otherwise I don’t.

So it’s all very conditional. I refuse to be completely stringent about it all, but on the other hand I no longer NEED sugar every day or even every week.

Sarah’s ebook was helpful because it was like having a friend along for the ride to hold your hand. Someone who’s been there, done that.

If you’re thinking about trying to quit sugar for the new year, Sarah is also running an I Quit Sugar support group right now, with weekly posts to help you through the process.

I highly recommend giving up the sweet stuff if the idea appeals.

Even if you don’t stick with it, I promise you’ll learn things about yourself by changing your diet for a while.

And you might even find that you like sugar-free and/or really-really-low-levels-of-sugar living.

Whatever you do with your health and diet, take care of yourself.

~Svasti

A yogini Xmas party & #iquitsugar week 5

Tags

champagne, Divine Ms N, I Quit Sugar, party, pavlova, Yoga, yoginis

What happens when a seven yoginis gather ’round a table of food and bubbles for lunch on a steamy hot December afternoon? Why, lots of eating, talking (about everything under the sun), and yoga (but of course).

Who says lunch is over in a couple of hours? Roughly 7 x 60 minutes flew by as a host of angelic yoginis gathered, thanks to the (henceforth dubbed) Divine Ms N.

One of the many topics we discussed was that of moderation and not being too rigid in thoughts or actions. Which is why I didn’t hesitate to have small amounts of champagne and a slice or two of this…

Nadine's pavlova

Because eating sugar is now the exception rather than the rule in my life.

My body feels better for not having it all the time. I’m losing weight without trying and I no longer feel enslaved by it. I’ve only had one menstrual cycle since I started this detox but it was a lot less grief than usual – which might be to do with giving up sugar or it might not.

The cool thing is that even though I ate some sugar, I didn’t find myself immediately craving more afterwards. A small taste was enough. I no longer have an internal debate with myself about walking past the chocolate aisle in the supermarket, either. That said, I refuse to be a pain in the ass about it when socialising. For example, at a yogini Xmas party. An occasional a piece of pav is not going to kill me as long as it’s the exception.

But back to the part-ay!

Nadine put on a fantastic lunch spread and brought some of the many yoginis working for her together for a chat. Interspersed through our seemingly endless conversation were many references to yoga.

And then. The post-lunch, post-pavlova, yoga styles comparison and demonstrations. Not a piece of lycra in sight, there was yoga in (fabulous) frocks, skirts and jeans, and lots of hands on bodies as we discussed this and that way of using core strength, for example.

It was just as delicious as lunch!

It was also inspiring, invigorating and joyful. It only takes one gathering of yoga teachers to remember how seldom we get to do just that. We have so much to learn from each other and the conversation just pours out in a gush!

Thanks Nadine (aka Divine Ms N), for throwing such a fabbo party and gathering an array and marvelous women together.

Thanks should also go to Nadine’s partner who good naturedly put up with a minor hoarde of girls taking over his house! Haha.

~Svasti

Sometimes you can have your cake…

Tags

Birthday, cheesecake, coincidences, gluten free, I Quit Sugar, job interviews, picnic

On Sunday I did something that’s a bit scary for me: I held a picnic for my birthday – a couple of weeks early – down at the beach.

That in itself doesn’t sound too scary, does it? But I’ve never been very good at throwing social gatherings. Plus, having a December birthday means that most of the people you invite to your get-together can’t come. Even when you invite them a month or two before the date.

I know, it’s just how December rolls with the crazy social whirlwind. I’ve always hated that about my birthday, though. I used to see it as a personal reflection. Surely if people liked me enough they’d go out of their way to come to my party? But that isn’t how life works. We each have our own priorities.

So I went ahead and had a picnic, even though the only people that could make it were my family and my very good friend and her lovely hubby. There were a few others who were going to come or at least try to, but it just didn’t work out like that.

Never mind. I no longer take these things personally.

Those of us who could be there all had a blast, down by the sea.

And cake. We had cake. Actually, there were THREE cakes*, but I made this one…

I adapted this gluten and sugar free cheesecake recipe by adding lemon juice and zest. I also used stevia instead of rice syrup. It was given a resounding thumbs up by one and all. The first time I’ve ever made a cheesecake!

*I certainly didn’t expect two other cakes! One was for my little nieces who like very plain things like sponge cake with vanilla icing. The other was a complete surprise. My mother went out of her way to make a gluten free chocolate mud cake.

So even though it wasn’t sugar free, I had a sliver anyway. Because I cannot tell you the last time my mother ever baked a cake for me. Seriously.

Other things of note:

• Since writing last week about taking a more relaxed approach to being supported, I scored two job interviews. Both of them happened today and both were positive.
• One was with a guy who is REALLY cute. Which was kinda distracting. 😉
• The cute one has already called me in for a second interview tomorrow. The other I’ll probably hear from very soon, too.
• For said interviews, I wore a dress that’s been just a little bit too tight for most of this year. On a whim, today I pulled it out of the cupboard and was able to zip it up very comfortably.
• So without being over-zealous, my I Quit Sugar experiment has caused me to shed a few pounds already. I don’t weigh myself, so I’m not sure how much. But enough for that dress (one I really like) to fit me very nicely indeed.

And now it is almost time for yoga.

Tomorrow I’m meeting with a client for a small freelance job – helping someone set up a WordPress site for their business. Then I’m meeting a friend of a friend, who might be need a freelance copywriter.

All of these things could still possibly fall flat but it’s amazing that until I made the call to chill the heck out, nothing much was happening for me. Now, there’s kind of a lot going on.

Maybe it’s all just a giant coincidence, or maybe not. I don’t really believe in coincidences much anymore.

And I’ll keep you posted…

~Svasti

More on transformation + #iquitsugar week 4

Tags

alternatives, doing things differently, Downard Dogs & Warriors, flow, habits, I Quit Sugar, joblessness, no visible means of support, sugar, Support, Surrender, Transformation, wisdom seeds, Zo Newell

I’ve had a few sugar cravings this week, which isn’t surprising according to Sarah’s ebook. I’ve also had my menstrual cycle to deal with, and oh, that pesky lack of employment. So yeah, I’ve had a few.

Mostly I’ve dealt pretty well with them, but I’ve occasionally dipped a teaspoon in a jar of Chocolate Coconut Butter. I’ve had this tiny jar for weeks and weeks and only if I’m desperate do I open it. Because it’s incredibly rich (almost over-powering), that’s really all I need. Not even a full teaspoon of it at a time.

More than anything, I’m noticing that eating something sweet is just another habit. Something I’ve learned to do over many years, and giving up that pattern of behaviour is more difficult than the physical withdrawal.

But I’m learning new behaviours. For example, a trip to the movies doesn’t have to automatically = eating sugary crappy foods. At a pinch, I can go to the supermarket and grab some good quality cheese and nuts from the deli. Or make my own popcorn (seasoned the way I like it) at home.

Then there’s things like this: a different kind of breakfast, adapted from one of Sarah Wilson’s recipes…

My version contains:

• Pumpkin (sprinkled with a little sea salt to help it cook faster)
• Carrots
• Peas
• Pepitas
• Black sesame seeds
• Shredded coconut
• A liberal dose of cinnamon
• Two eggs broken in the pan and stirred in
• All cooked up in coconut oil

This is a wonderfully nourishing meal and an awesome alternative to the usual breakfast fare. I felt like something other than poached eggs this morning and… voila! It’s brilliant. Not to mention sugar and grain/gluten free and super-tasty.

Anyway, this post is sort of about just that: alternatives. Doing and seeing things differently. In a really intangible way that you can’t measure or touch or truly understand with the logical part of the mind. Which makes it hard to write about, but I’ll try.

I still don’t have a job, and I’ve gone through about fifty modes of dealing with this unpleasant fact in the last couple of weeks.

If I pay attention to the stark reality of being jobless only weeks from Christmas and the no-hire zone of New Year/early January, I absolutely freak out. With heart in my throat and chest-tightening anxiety that is not helpful at all. Nor does it do much for my confidence or ability to think outside the box.

The reality about the digital industry in Melbourne is that it’s pretty small and still relatively immature. Surprisingly so given that this is 2011! Sydney has in recent times overtaken Melbourne in terms of numbers of digital jobs. Which just makes me want to move back there!!

Also recruitment agents here are more often than not, sub-par. According to one recruiter I spoke to, there’s a low barrier to entry for becoming a recruiter, many agencies are competing to fill the same jobs and my skills are quite specialised. So if the recruiter has no real experience in digital, it shows. Painfully. But sadly, these unskilled people are all too often the go-between for roles I’m likely to apply for.

But here’s what I’m discovering:

The more I worry about not having a job and when I might get one, and why didn’t I get an interview with that company etc etc etc… I feel like I’m missing out on something important, and it’s that intangible “thing” that I’m trying to convey here.

Today I finally picked up Downard Dogs & Warriors by Zo Newell. It’s been sitting on my bookshelf for months and months. Very soon I’ll have finished reading it however because it hooked me from the first paragraph.

Early on, it contains the phrase: “no visible means of support”, which has a completely different meaning in the context of the story being told than the thoughts it sparked in my mind.

Because one could say that right now I have no visible means of support. Yet this does not mean I am unsupported. Not at all.

There’s the little bit of extra yoga teaching being thrown my way. The Self-Alignment Kit I was gifted with at the right time. The kinesiology appointment I was allowed to have on credit. The possibility of a little freelance work coming my way (setting up a WordPress site). And a good friend (who reads this blog, thank you darling!) who connected me with her friend to see if I could do any copywriting or any other work with her. Another friend who offered me some amazing natural skincare products including moisturisers and cleansers (excellent timing since I was running low).

The words of one of my yoga teachers also resonate right now: the Universe will always provide.

Maybe it won’t be the job that I think I want or need that comes through right now.

The support I really need is emotional and financial. I need money to pay my rent and bills and so I can eat. It just mightn’t come from the places I’m expecting it to. So I need to stop telling the Universe how to support me, and just let it unfold as it will.

Which is challenging when talking about my financial well-being. It’s counter-intuitive to not plot and plan and scheme and have a back up plan and a second back up plan. But it’s much less exhausting to trust in the process of life.

Tuesday night I went to teach my yoga class as I always do: with a mix of a half-formed plan and an open mind about what will happen in the classroom with whoever turns up. I have some amazing repeat students, and a bunch of drop-ins who float in and out. They all have their own physical challenges, and for some reason they love my class.

Last night I heard that one of my regulars has been “raving” to her friends about the school I teach at, and my classes. Which is always completely unexpected because I’m still such a newbie teacher. But then something must be working right, yes?

Quite often, what goes on in the room has little to do with me or my plan. Occasionally I find myself spontaneously offering tiny morsels of the teachings I’ve been blessed with over the years and sometimes, there are receptive ears for these wisdom seeds.

As I walked away from the school at the end of the class, I thought about how magical teaching yoga can be.

I started to wonder what life would be like if I approached it the way I do teaching. With surrender. I don’t feel the need to control every moment of what I teach. I don’t kick myself if the class plan I was thinking of goes out the window. I never worry about the number of people in my class, unless there are too many! I hate for everyone to be too cramped in my wee back room.

Basically, I let go. I allow my training to do what it will, and I use all of my senses to respond to my students. I know the class will work out, no matter what. It even works out when there are so-called “difficult” students in the room. I don’t try to teach everything I know about every given pose or aspect of yoga at any given time.

When I’m teaching and especially at the beginning and end of the class, I open up to the Universe and offer my prayers and thanks for being able to pass these teachings on to others. I connect to my teachers and their teachers and I ask for their guidance. I don’t expect anything in particular to happen as a result. I just let it be.

This creates flow, and when my energy is flowing everything feels lighter. Easier. Happier.

I know I’m asking a lot of myself to take this approach to my current unemployment situation, but maybe it might just be exactly what is needed.

So, let’s see, shall we?

~Svasti

No news and #iquitsugar week 3

Tags

Anxiety, As You Like It, blood sugar levels, Christmas, detox, Easter, Father’s Day, gluten denial, guardian angel-type people, Halloween, Hashimoto’s, I Quit Sugar, joblessness, Mother's Day, Shakespeare, sugar, sugar addiction, swings and roundabouts, Thanksgiving, trick or treating, Valentine's Day, worry

An empty street stage in a Melbourne laneway, waits for its actors

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts…

~ Shakespeare, As You Like It

Joblessness

In case you were wondering, the saying “no news is good news” is a crock o’… you-know-what.

Waiting, waiting and waiting to hear back about various leads from recruitment agencies. Sometimes the company withdraws an advertised job for financial reasons, or suddenly they’ve hired someone by other channels. Yet all the recruiters tell me what an amazing skill set I have! Often I’m just not getting a look in. Even with short term jobs that don’t pay as much as I normally get paid, but that I’d be willing to do just to have some cash flow happening.

I like to imagine that the Universe has a hand in this. As in, I won’t be placed in a job if it isn’t good for my health or stress levels etc. Ironically, having no job at all is NOT good for those things either.

It’s a case of swings and roundabouts, as the saying goes.

Then again, being in the thick of an undesirable situation is never as bad as worrying about what might happen if such a thing comes to pass. In the last weeks of my contract role, my belly was very unhappy with all of the anxiety and so (excuse the TMI) I had the runs.

Now I’m all unemployed with no new job lined up, the runs (sorry!) have cleared up. I’m getting a lot more sleep, and taking time to do the things I need to do. So that’s actually nourishing for my health. As long as I keep faith that the Universe will provide, then my stress levels are under control, too.

Plus, I find myself surrounded by lovely guardian angel-type people. Folks I wouldn’t have met had it not been for this blog, yet they are kinder and more giving than my own family.

Two such angels are Nadine and Kerry, whom I’ve talked a lot about recently. Let’s just say they are beautiful people as well as being excellent at what they do. I’m so grateful to have them in my life! Thank you! xxx

Quittin’ sugar, week 3

Last week I was dealing with a box of chocolates that I really didn’t want in my life. Bloody hell. I had some of them.

But the funny thing is that I didn’t want to consume them all like I would have before starting my sugar detox.

In fact I’ve noticed that the less sugar I have, the less I want it all. Very. Interesting.

Today at the supermarket I again noticed an absolute homage to sugar at checkouts, hoping to catch people at a weak moment.

I also really saw for the first time just how much sugar is tied to holiday occasions: Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and birthdays.

You folks in the US also have Thanksgiving and Halloween. I understand there’s even a Thanksgiving dish that involves marshmallows! Let’s not even talk about the diabetes in waiting sugar situation known as trick or treating.

Anyway, like I said before: the less I have, the less I want. Conversely the more sugar I have, the more often I want it. Which is a telltale sign of addiction.

Big business bets on this addiction by including sugar in most of our processed foods. So then those extra treats at the checkout are harder to resist because there’s already plenty of sugar in our body, crying out for the next fix!

I recall certain periods in my life where I HAD to have chocolate every single day. But no longer, because this autoimmune condition of mine does much better when my blood sugar levels are balanced. Too much sugar and my body freaks out!

Honestly, I consider that a blessing.

So this week as part of the detox, I’ve been upping the ratio of good fats in my diet. Things like avocados (which are crazy cheap right now), pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, certain cheeses etc. Unsaturated fats in small doses that quickly sate my appetite and provide much needed nutrients.

In addition, I’m eating more vegetables and organic/free range meat. Plenty of water, coconut water, green tea, tulsi tea and chai.

Basically, it’s all going well and I don’t seem to be missing sugar at all. For now. Apparently it gets harder in a few more weeks…

Also: gluten denial!

Oooh boy. I confess I’ve been majorly in denial about gluten.

Only certain types of food containing gluten cause me real physical grief, specifically things like bread and pizza. In small doses I can handle dumplings (my weakness)…

But gluten is gluten.

Part of me really hates the idea of being all “special needs” with my food and this fuels my occasional rebellion.

However all the reading I’ve done on Hashimoto’s strongly recommends going gluten-free.

So I’ve had a very stern talk with myself: *clears throat* Even if we’re not having an obvious physical reaction to gluten (hello, dumplings that aren’t gluten-free!), that doesn’t mean its okay to eat it. And no, we can’t occasionally have pizza with gluten just because it’s more convenient. That’s dumb-ass, young lady, and we know it’ll hurt! So. Just. Stop.

Sheesh. Sometimes I’m very stubborn about the wrong things.

That’s all for now, y’all.

Oh! I do have a couple of things going on. I’m writing a couple of guest posts, and also maybe doing a bit of freelance work. More updates soon…

~Svasti

P.S. Please do send the Faeries In Charge of Jobs and Abundance over to my house for a spell, okay?

Temptation looks like this

Tags

chocolate, Haigh's chocolates, temptation

Clearly, I’m being mocked by the Universe. On the same day my contract ends, I’m also given an exquisite box of chocolates I can’t eat!

Guess I forgot to mention to the folks at work that I’m in the process of quitting sugar.

People, I can’t tell you HOW GOOD this box o’ sugar smells! And yet… I find myself somehow able to resist them. I think!

Of course, there’s a little voice attempting to convince me that: just one won’t hurt.

OMG BRAIN!! Are you trying to screw with me?

We all know I wouldn’t just have one, I’d eat the whole damn box and feel sick afterwards.

You see, my thing with chocolate has always been a bit feast or famine. As in, it’s in the house and I eat it til its all gone or I Just Don’t Have Any At All.

*sigh*

Very pretty box and delightful looking choccies (yes, I peeked) *bows head*

So I’m guessing I’ll give them away to one lucky friend…

~Svasti

Week 2: Giving up sugar

Tags

adzuki beans, Chai tea, complex carbohydrates, dark chocolate, detox, hot chocolate, I Quit Sugar, impending unemployment, lentil sprouts, mung beans, stress levels, sugar

So folks, here we are! Week 2 of this quittin’ sugar detox and so far, so good.

This is actually pretty amazing because right now with the whole job situation STILL not panning out, it’s a battle to keep my stress levels under control.

And stress = feeling crappy = sugar cravings!

The job sitch

I had an interview last week and about halfway through I was pretty certain this was not a job I wanted. Given that (for now) tomorrow is my last day of actual paid-with-a-regular-pay-cheque-type employment, I was amazed that I was able to admit this to myself instead of just going for the job anyway, misgivings and all.

Which is what I would’ve done once upon a time.

But I stuck to speaking truth, and I was very clear that in no way would it be a suitable job if I wanted to retain my health.

There’ve been a couple of other interviews, but so far nothing concrete. This is the third time in as many years that I’ve been in this situation. I sure wish I knew what I’m meant to be learning from it all!

My unemployment is no longer just a potential situation. It’s happening as of COB tomorrow.

(More on what I’m doing about all of this in my next post)

Recapping week 1, sugar-free

Getting through week 1 was kind of a breeze, as all new efforts are. In the beginning when you’re committed to them, that is. Before the battle of old vs new habits really kicks in.

As I mentioned, I’d already been cutting back on sugar before I started my detox. Like, for months I ate a gluten-free cereal for breakfast that was choc-full of dried fruits. That’s some serious sugar, people! But it’s been out of my life for a couple of months now.

You see, one of the things I’ve noticed with this whole thyroid/autoimmune thing is that my body is much more sensitive to sugar than it used to be. Gone are the days when I’d devour any chocolate in my path. I simply can’t handle it anymore (thank goodness!).

So last week was about just cutting out the really obvious stuff. The low-hanging fruit, so to speak (pun intended).

For example: The odd square or two of 80% cocoa dark chocolate I’d have some days. Or an occasional hot chocolate or chai tea with honey.

However, I did trip up inadvertently a couple of times. Like ordering chai at a cafe and drinking it before figuring out that they’d stirred some agave into the pot. Doh!

Going off all fruit is a bit of a challenge. I like to inhale the odd punnet of blueberries or strawberries in lieu of anything more evil (e.g. ice-cream, chocolate). But for now, fruit has to go.

Things I’m still eating: small amounts of gluten-free bread (breakfast is usually boiled eggs or avocado on toast), and some rice. Grains, in case you weren’t aware, are complex carbohydrates that break down into sugar within the body.

My “easy-does-it”, less than hard core approach means that I haven’t taken those foods out yet. That said, I don’t eat huge amounts of bread or rice, either. For now, they’re staying put.

To date, I’ve noticed a couple of potential effects but as I mentioned to a friend of mine… I’m not sure if they have anything to do with quitting sugar or not. I could be making this up entirely!

Things like: being more aware of my appetite; my appetite seemingly spiking less intensely than usual; and, the 3pm “crash” most people experience also seems to be less extreme.

Other things

As well as cutting my sugar intake, I’ve also been reducing the number of times a week I eat out/buy take-away. It’s something that got out of control when I developed PTSD because I simply didn’t care enough to cook for myself.

Speaking of cooking – something else I’ve been reminded of lately is that handling and preparing your own food helps to sate hunger almost as much as eating it.

Oh, and also? Bought a new seed and bean sprouter so I can add living sprouted foods to my meals.

From top to bottom: adzuki beans, lentils, mung beans

The sprouter is apparently made of eco-friendly acrylic glass.

This week I’m growing mung beans, adzuki beans and lentil sprouts. 🙂

Week 2…

So far, week 2 has kicked off just fine as well. But I shouldn’t speak too soon, I imagine.

My monthly cycle usually brings all kinds of sugar and fried food cravings. I’m positive that’s gonna be another experience entirely. (Yikes!)

Wanna be my sugar-free buddy?

My friend Kate (no added sugar required for all of her sweetness) has already joined me, even if she is on the other side of the planet. So glad to have some company on this wee adventure, thanks Kitty!

But the more the merrier. Give me a shout if you’d like to join in the fun!

~Svasti

So Sugar, what’s the deal?

Tags

anti-masturbation tactic, Anxiety, autoimmune, Depression, gluten free eating, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Healing, hypothyroidism, I Quit Sugar, inflammation, PTSD, quitting sugar, Sarah Wilson, sugar, thyroid

Gimme some sugar, Sugar

Hey honey! Sweetie, darling! Sweetcakes! Gimme some sugar!

Or rather… please don’t.

As I mentioned briefly last week, I’ve just started a brand new regime of quitting sugar.

Today is day three.

I know. WHY the heck would I do something like that? Maybe you’re staring at the screen in horror at such a suggestion. When I announced my plans on Twitter, someone asked me: All sugar, forever?

Even across the internets, I could hear the disbelief and tension in those three little words.

But really, why?

Good question! Glad you asked. 😀

Here’s the skinny: I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. An autoimmune condition wherein my body has decided that my thyroid is a foreign entity to be attacked and destroyed. Thanks, body!

Hashimoto’s is inflammation in the body, and basically causes the thyroid to be underactive – meaning a slowed metabolism (hello, weight gain/difficulty with weight loss), an impaired immune system (getting sick a lot), low-low-low iron levels, a massive loss of energy (you try getting out of bed like this!) and a whole bunch of other less than lovely symptoms.

But if you’ve been reading this blog for a little while you’d know about some of this already. As well as my various efforts to heal my body. You can read some of my other posts if you like.

There’s all sorts of information out there about the causes (there are several), what to do about it, treatment (western and alternative medicine), what to eat and so on.

One of my key goals at the moment is reducing inflammation and trying to make my body chemistry as alkaline as possible.

Get your addict on

Here’s the thing about sugar: generally speaking it’s in everything we eat, when physiologically it’s only meant to be consumed sparingly.

As in, not every day. Heck, not even every week!

Too much sugar causes inflammation in the body, as well as contributing to weight gain, and possibly even things like making our minds whizz around too fast, sleep disturbances and so on.

Also, sugar is addictive. The more we have, the more we want.

For a somewhat humorous take on this, read how breakfast cereal was originally developed as an anti-masturbation tactic.

Been there, done it before

A bunch of years ago I did the whole sugar quitting thing. Not because I needed to (although really, we all need to at least reduce our sugar intake), but because it was a Thing.

A dieting technique: cut all sugars and all grains and the weight drops off!

While this is actually true, that kind of all-or-nothing approach can be hard to sustain.

But for the period of time I was on my ABSOLUTELY NO SUGAR kick, I felt and looked amazing.

Keeping it up is another story. Especially in our heavily sugar addicted culture. Especially when attempting to eat out with friends, or even order a drink in a bar. Seriously.

So I lapsed. Eventually my sugar intake was back to its previous levels and with it, much of the weight I’d dropped.

Then I was assaulted, developed PTSD and depression and started eating like shit because most days all I could manage was cheese and crackers, peanut butter on toast, eating out/ordering take-away, or ice cream. So I put on more weight.

Finally, I started to work on healing my mind, heart and soul. What I didn’t realise at the time is that mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety and depression absolutely mess with your body and brain chemistry, and even your DNA.

So as a result of all of this, I now have an autoimmune condition. More healing required! But then, when does it ever truly stop? And why should it have to?

Sarah Wilson’s “I Quit Sugar” e-book

Sarah Wilson's "I Quit Sugar" ebook

When I was first diagnosed, I took to Twitter to ask for information on thyroid stuff as well as gluten-free eating (recommended for thyroidy people).

One of the first crowd-sourced suggestions was to read Sarah’s blog.

She doesn’t just write about Hashimoto’s, eating gluten and sugar free – there’s lots of other cool posts, too.

Recently she published a little ebook (note: this is an affiliate link*) that I immediately snapped up. I’ve now read it cover to cover and this week I began my new journey to a sugar-free life!

The thing I like about Sarah’s approach is that she’s NOT all hardcore do-or-die about it. She suggests an eight week slowly-does-it technique.

Allowing you to ween yourself off the sweet stuff bit by bit.

* Which means that if you buy Sarah’s ebook from clicking on the above link, I get paid a small fee.

But really, for how long?

The answer to “All sugar, forever?” is: I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see. It’s “for now” anyways. For the foreseeable future, yes.

Sarah even suggests that after you’ve “detoxed” from your sugar addiction, it might be possible to re-introduce limited amounts of sugar into your diet again.

But it really depends on your body and how it reacts to even a little bit of sugar. Does it kick off the addiction again or are you cool with tiny amounts?

You kinda won’t know until you detox for a few months and then give it a try.

So yeah, here I go with my new sugar-free living adventure.

Let me know if you’d like to join in so we can support each other. It’d be excellent to have a buddy along for the ride.

Anyways, I’ll be posting updates on my progress around once a week to keep myself accountable to someone – YOU!

Wish me well, m’lovelies.

~ Svasti xxx